Surgeons stand in to observe other surgeons. Pilots watch other pilots from the jump seat. Teachers spend months in another teacher’s classroom. Why? To transfer learning and skills in the spirit of best practices. Shouldn’t we as moderators do the same? Don’t miss this special opportunity to learn directly from those who have shaped qualitative research into what it is today! This session was a hit when it was presented at the Philly chapter, and now we’re bringing it to the entire membership with a fresh topic and local Nevada consumer respondents.
J.R. Harris, Judy Langer and Pat Sabena, with more than 115 years of collective experience, will share how they developed their style and approach to moderating, and then show us how they do it by each moderating a live 30-minute mini-group. Join the discussion as we each consider our own unique style and approach and explore opportunities for individual growth as Qualitative Research Consultants.
We will kick off with a panel discussion as J.R., Judy and Pat talk about how they initially work to clearly understand client needs and objectives, and the impact on designing the discussion guide, and then move on to three 30-minute mini-groups conducted by each panelist with moderator debriefs in between. (Each presenter/moderator will prepare a discussion guide based on their interpretation of a research brief created by the conference leadership team.) We conclude with a discussion about what was learned collectively in observing different styles and approaches, as well as taking time to share potential individual implications in helping us all better serve our clients.

Session : QRCA1102Power Up Through Paradox: Polarity Management® as a Tool for Addressing ComplexityTarget audience: For independent qualitative researchers, whether newly out-of-school, just hanging out a shingle, or experienced but looking to evaluate and promote their point of difference in today's marketplace.Conference : QRCA 2011 Annual ConferenceSpeaker(s) :

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$15.00

Liz Monroe-Cook, Ph.D.

Using paradox or reconciling seemingly opposite truths is recognized as essential for addressing complexity. Explaining complexity is a particular benefit of qualitative research. But do we use awareness of paradox as deliberately and consciously as we could?
This session will introduce Polarity Management®, a form of systems thinking that taps the power of paradox. Polarity Management is both a way of thinking and a specific tool for analysis and action planning. Drawing on ancient wisdom about dynamic tensions, it encourages us to understand that complex challenges cannot be addressed by only one answer. To breathe, we inhale and we exhale; we cannot survive if we do just one. Many interdependent factors or polarities appear in the work done by researchers; for example, cognition and emotion, expectation and experience, lead the market and respond to the market. In this session you will build awareness of common polarities, distinguish them from problems to solve, and learn how to map polarities (identifying positives, negatives, action steps and early warnings) as a practical and creative tool for your work. You will be challenged to use a new lens and supplement either-or thinking with both-and thinking, affirming the richness of the work you do.

Dread the reporting phase of your projects? Want to stand out from the crowd and deliver your clients memorable, impactful reports? In this session you’ll learn how to “skinny down” the text and augment it with combinations of imagery, video, music, and flowing symbolism. We’ll review the Deep D.I.V.E. (Dynamic, Interactive, Versatile, and Engaging) reporting approach and show you how these new skills will not only emblazon your research findings, but will “live on” in the eyes, hearts, and minds of your clients and other third-party players.

Session : QRCA1104Building on Spirit: Practical Applications to Establish the Ultimate ConnectionTarget Audience: Everyone can benefit from this session, but it would be best if the audience member has attended one of Ricardo's presentations on "Moderating with Spirit" or read the VIEWS article.Conference : QRCA 2011 Annual ConferenceSpeaker(s) :

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$15.00

Ricardo López

You may have seen Ricardo’s presentation on "Moderating with Spirit" at a prior QRCA conference or chapter meeting. In "Moderating with Spirit" Ricardo explored the intangible qualities that QRCs use to connect to participants and outlined a set of principles that are used by the masters in our field.
This presentation builds on those principles and teaches various techniques and exercises that are conducive to building a spiritual connection with research participants - a connection that will put you in control of every interview.
The presentation starts with a quick summary of what moderating with spirit is all about. It then goes into a tutorial of basic approaches and techniques that help open the path to this higher level of engagement. It includes basic instructions and many “tested” qualitative research practices on how to eliminate the roadblocks that prevent heightened engagement; it also incorporates interactive demonstrations.

Session : QRCA1105Repositioning YourselfTarget Audience: For independent qualitative researchers, whether newly out-of-school, just hanging out a shingle, or experienced but looking to evaluate and promote their point of difference in today's marketplace.Conference : QRCA 2011 Annual ConferenceSpeaker(s) :

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$15.00

Karen Lynch

New methodologies, increased competitive pressures, changing customer needs … how do you, an independent researcher, maintain the success you've attained and/or make deliberate, strategic moves to be more successful in the qualitative market research field today? Do you find it hard to describe how you stand out in the qualitative research crowd? This workshop will provide the tools to reposition yourself in today’s world and enable you to take the actions needed for success.

Session : QRCA1106A Day In The Life: My First Year As An MROC ModeratorTarget Audience: Experienced QRCs, with online qualitative proficiency, who wish to learn how to apply their skills to the new and exciting methodology of MROCs.Conference : QRCA 2011 Annual ConferenceSpeaker(s) :

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$15.00

Holly O'Neill

MROCs (Market Research Online Communities) are the hottest growth area in qualitative research! Why? Because marketers desire to go beyond interviewing respondents about their opinions and seek to also build relationships with their customers and prospects.
Don’t be left behind! Join the online revolution where social media meets market research. In this informative and entertaining seminar, you’ll hear first-hand, from an experienced QRC (turned MROC moderator) how to sell MROCs, how to build them, and how to service and analyze them to yield actionable insights for your clients. With this powerful new technology, you’ll see how to capture rich customer insights organically through social media as well as more formally via robust online qualitative tools – all inside one custom-research portal!

Session : QRCA1108Amp Up Your Practice with Visual ThinkingTarget Audience: Qualitative researchers at any level of experience can benefit from this session. It will provide some simple and fun tools for the newest consultants and bring new tricks to the most experienced among us.Conference : QRCA 2011 Annual ConferenceSpeaker(s) :

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$15.00

Susannah Childers and Lynette McCormack

Want to better engage your client teams while you’re moderating? Come learn how the use of simple visuals can help your clients learn more, connect ideas and have fun in the process!
This session will cover the basics of visual thinking and provide simple graphic-recording skills which you can apply right away with your clients, including:
Why visuals? – What they do and why they work
Overview of basic visual language
Drawing practice: basic shapes, using colors and recording practice
Using graphic templates as “visual thinking” tools
Plus, tips and resources for bringing visual thinking to your practice
In extended-breakout sessions, you’ll put to work what you’ve learned – literally drawing on the walls (paper covered, of course) and seeing the benefits of visual thinking in practice.
As a result of this session you’ll learn:
Why and how visuals help people go beyond top-of-mind responses
How to use visuals to enhance engagement in a meeting
How graphics help teams to see new connections and encourage big picture thinking
How simple graphic frameworks can support the group’s visual memory leading to increased alignment and productivity
How the use of colors can enhance any recording (flip charting too!)

Participants will be exposed to a video extracted from an ethnography project rich with emotional, cultural, and usage issues. Working in small groups and using a proven process, they will collect and interpret the data, and develop insights that unlock opportunities from the material under the guidance of experienced, professional ethnographers. At the close, attendees will share their insights with the others. They will take away "eyes and ears" primed for insight mining in their next ethnography project. (Attendees will be limited to 40 in order to facilitate the small group nature of the workshop.)

Session : QRCA1110How to Unlock the Treasures, and Avoid the Pitfalls, of Social Media ListeningTarget Audience: Researchers who are new to social-media monitoring and would like to understand how to effectively dip into the river of social media data to inform traditional research studies.Conference : QRCA 2011 Annual ConferenceSpeaker(s) :

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$15.00

Amanda Durkee

Are you struggling with how to leverage social media to inform primary research insights? Are you overwhelmed by the myriad of tools offering you solutions, yet requiring too much time or money? Many of today’s tools have been designed for marketers rather than researchers. This session will provide you with some real-world examples of how to use social media most effectively to inform and enhance qualitative research studies. It will include: Steps for setting up a successful social media listening campaign, Issues to avoid to maximize success, Best practices for monitoring and sharing results

Session : QRCA1111Vegas, Baby!Target Audience: For QRCs who want to know about gambling and risk-taking behaviors in general, how risk taking relates to product purchase decisions (especially new or previously untried products), and how the basic human urge to gamble plays a part in current decision-making theories including behavioral economics.Conference : QRCA 2011 Annual ConferenceSpeaker(s) :

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$15.00

Gene Johnson

While we’re in Vegas, it begs the question: what can we learn from consumer attitudes and behaviors about gambling which applies to real-life decision making? Gambling terminology infuses our lives and everyday language, and the concept of risking a small stake for the prospect of greater gain is a basic motivator of consumer behavior, whether these people wager money in casinos or not.
This presentation will give attendees some historical and social background on the industry that built the city of Las Vegas, dispel common misconceptions, and demonstrate how gambling is fundamentally interwoven into the human character. The presentation will further explore how gambling plays a role in human behavior and the every-day decisions and social interactions that are so important to qualitative research. Historically, it will show that gambling predates agriculture and can be found in some form today in virtually every human culture. The presentation will describe how gaming developed in ancient civilizations, flourished through the Middle Ages, and was studied by many of the intellectual giants of the Renaissance. Gambling was responsible for the science of statistics, which originated to predict the probability of future gaming outcomes, and remains an essential tool for marketing researchers today.